1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to mast support assemblies and, more particularly, to mast support assemblies which are particularly suited for securing television antenna masts to masonry walls and chimneys.
2. The Prior Art
Optimum reception of television signals at a given location is achieved when the antenna is secured to the highest structure at that location. For most homes, the highest structural portion is a chimney which very often is made of brick and mortar. The conventional technique for securing a television antenna mast to a masonry chimney is by means of cables wrapped about the chimney. An example of this technique is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,703 to Arnold et al. This cable-wrapping approach has a number of associated disadvantages. For example, when the chimney periphery is large, installation requires more than one person. In other words, a single person can not reach around the chimney periphery to wrap the cable and secure the mast. In addition, the cable tension changes with temperature so that the force holding the antenna mast against the chimney occasionally loosens and moves with the wind. This produces interference in the received television signal as well as introducing the danger of the entire antenna coming loose and falling from the chimney. Further, the upper lip of many chimneys projects horizontally outward beyond the main chimney periphery, thereby requiring a make-shift spacer to be installed between the chimney and antenna mast so that the mast can clear the projecting lip. This severely impairs the integrity of the cable-wrap mounting arrangement and further complicates the installation process.
In attempting to solve the aforesaid problems, I discovered additional areas of concern. For example, in attempting to secure an antenna mast directly to a masonry chimney with a bracket and masonry screws, or the like, I noted that the structural integrity of the mounting arrangement was poor. Moreover, the bracket mounting holes did not always align with mortar spaces between the bricks and the chimney wall, thereby requiring the creation of additional mounting holes. Further, the spacing of the antenna mast to clear the lip of the chimney is not completely solved merely by spacing a mounting bracket from the chimney wall. Specifically, it is desirable, on the one hand, to clear the chimney lip; but it is also desirable to keep the mast as close to the chimney as possible to take advantage of the chimney structural support and to minimize the torque load created by the weight of the mast on the extended bracket and spacer.